Adjustable aerosol valve button assembly

ABSTRACT

An aerosol valve operating button assembly including the tubular valve stem of an aerosol valve. The assembly is provided with means for varying the discharge of spray therefrom.

United States Patent 1191 Webster [451 Apr. 16, 1974 1 ADJUSTABLEAEROSOL VALVE BUTTON ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Milo E. Webster, Braintree,Mass.

[7 3] Assignee: The Gillette Company, Boston,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Apr. 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 247,979

[52] US. Cl. 222/48 [51] Int. Cl B6711 5/22 [58] Field of Search239/540, 537, 538; 222/48, 222/547, 402.11, 402.14, 402.24, 553,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,180,536 4/1965 Meshberg222/402.l1

2,197,250 4/1940 Davies 251/208 X 1,191,700 7/1916 3,703,994 ll/1972Nigro 222/4021? 3,638,867 2/1972 Venus, .lr ZZZ/402.17 2,303,712 12/1942Sundstrom 222/547 X Primary Examiner-Stanley l-l. Tollberg AssistantExaminer--Norman L. Stack, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmWi1lis M. Ertmann[5 7] ABSTRACT An aerosol valve operating button assembly including thetubular valve stem of an aerosol valve. The assembly is provided withmeans for varying the discharge of spray therefrom.

6 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR v 61914 3.804.298

SH! 1 0f 4 20 iii Z PAIENTEBAPR 1 61974 SHEU 3 OF 4 ADJUSTABLE AEROSOLVALVE BUTTON ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention relates to aerosol valve buttons and isdirected more particularly to a button assembly having facility forselectively determining the rate of flow therefrom.

2. Description of the Prior Art Aerosol valve buttons are adapted to bemounted upon the tubular valve stems of aerosol containers and providedwith a fluid flow duct leading to a discharge outlet from which thematerial is discharged generally in the form of a spray. Such buttonsare typically of a structure dictating substantially constant andunalterable flow therethrough and therefrom.

Previous attempts to introduce adjustability of flow rate to suchbuttons have, by and large, resulted in buttons too complex or expensiveto be commercially feasible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide an aerosol valve button assembly having facilityfor selectively adjusting the rate of flow therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a button assemblywhich may be economically made and easily operated.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, afeature of the present invention is the provision of an aerosol buttonassembly comprising a tubular valve stem having a slot therein, firstand second members mounted on the stem and defining a chambertherebetween. The chamber has a discharge outlet and is in communicationwith the slot. The first of the members is rotatable relative to thesecond of the members and has an inwardly extending wall disposedproximate to the slot. The wall has an inclined edge surface, so thatrotative movement of the first member moves the wall relative to theslot to vary the area of the slot exposed to the chamber, therebyvarying the rate of flow therethrough upon actuation of the valve.

The above and other features of the invention including various noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts. will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particulardevice embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only andnot as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features ofthis invention may be employed in various and numerous embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings in which is shown anillustrative embodiment of the inventionfrom which its novel features and advantages will be apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a centerline sectional view of one form of valve buttonassembly illustrative of an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are similar to FIG. 1, but illustrate different operatingpositions;

FIG. 4 is a plan view;

FIG. 5 is a cut-away elevational view;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are similar to FIG. 5, but illustrate different operatingpositions;

FIG. 8 is a centerline sectional view of an alternative form of valvebuttom assembly;

FIGS. 9-11 are similar to FIG. 8, but illustrate different operatingpositions;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIGS. 8-11;

FIG. 13 is a cut-away, partly sectional, elevational view of theassembly shown in FIGS. 8-12; and

FIGS. 14-16 are similar to FIG. 13, but illustrate different operatingpositions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, it will beseen that the button assembly comprises an aerosol valve stem 2 having aslot 4 extending from its discharge end. Mounted on the stem 2 andjoined thereto is a collar member 6 which is generally cup-shaped. Thecollar member 6 is provided with a discharge orifice 8 which may beprovided with a break-up disc 10. Disposed on the discharge end of thestem 2 is a cap member 12 having a wall portion 14 which extends intothe annulus formed by the stem 2 and collar member 6. The wall 14 isprovided with an inclined edge 16. The cap 12 and collar 6 members forma chamber 18 which is in communication with the discharge orifice 8 andthe slot 4. The cap member 12 is provided with a lug 20 whichfacilitates manual rotation of the cap member 12.

Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the cap 12 may be providedwith markings 22, which may be M and H for convenience in locating thecap properly for low," medium or high flow rates, as will be furtherdescribed below. The collar member 6 may be provided with indicatingmeans, such as a pointer 24 extending into an arcuate recess 26 foralignment with one of the markings 22 on the cap.

The operation of the above-described embodiment will now be explainedwith reference to FIGS. 1-7. In FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the lug 20 has beenmoved to rotate the cap 12 so that the M marking on the cap is inalignment with the pointer 24 on the collar 6. FIGS. 2 and 6 show therelative positions of the inclined edge 16 of the wall 14 and the slot4.

When the lug 20 is moved to the position indicated by 20' in FIG. 4, theL is moved into alignment with the pointer 24 and the wall 14 assumesthe position relative to the slot 4 shown in FIGS. l and 5, the wallhaving been moved so that a greater portion of the slot is covered,thereby reducing the rate of flow through the slot.

When the lug 20 is moved to the position indicated by 20" in FIG. 4, theH" is moved into alignment with the pointer 24 and the wall 14 assumesthe position relative to the slot 4 shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the wallhaving been moved so that a lesser portion of the slot is covered,thereby permitting an increased rate of flow through the slot.

Flow through the stem is normally started by either depression ortilting of the button assembly, depending upon the valve used in theaerosol container.

In FIG. 8, there is shown an alternative embodiment which includes thevalve stem 2, slot 4, collar member 6 having the discharge orifice 8,and the cap member 12. In this instance, the wall 14, rather than beingannularly shaped as in the previous embodiment, is cylindrically shapedand has an inclined end surface 16. The collar member 6 includesindicating means, such as the pointer portion 24 (FIG. 12). The cap 12is provided with the markings 22, which may include the usual L," M andH, as well as C (for closed), if desired. The cap is also provided withthe lug to facilitate rotation of the cap relative to the stern andcollar member 6.

When the cap is positioned as shown in FIG. 12, the wall 14 completelycovers the slot 4, as may be seen in FIGS. 8 and 13.

Movement of the cap 12 to a position in which the pointer 24 is inalignment with the L on the cap, causes the wall 14 to'rotate so thatarelatively small portion of the slot 4 is unobstructed, as shown inFIGS.

9 and 14. Further movement, to the M position removes obstruction from alarger portion of the slot 4,

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An aerosol valve operating assembly comprising a tubular valve stemmember defining an axially extending discharge passage from said valve,said stem having an opening in its tubular wall, a collar member infixed relation on said stem member and having a discharge outlettherein, and a cap member rotatably mounted on said collar and stemmembers, Said collar and cap members including cooperating firstsurfaces in interengaged sealing relationship and cooperating secondsurfaces spaced from one another, said first and second cooperatingsurfaces defining an annular chamber, said annular chamber providingflow communication between said discharge outlet and said stem opening,

- said cap member further having a depending cylindrical portionslidably fitted in overlapping relation with said stem member such thatsaid stem member defines the axis of rotation of said cap member,

said depending cylindrical portion of said cap member further includingan edge surface overlying a portion of said stem opening in one angularposition of said cap member relative to said stem member such that saidedge surface and said stem opening are in juxtaposition and cooperate todefine a flow passage from said stem member to said chamber, thedimensions of said flow passage in said one angular position of said capmember being less than the dimensions of said flow passage in a secondangular position of said cap member relative to said stern member,whereby rotation of said cap member relative to said stem member aboutan axis defined by said stem member moves said edge surface relative tosaid opening and changes the area of said flow passage, thus enablingadjustment of the rate of flow through said operating assembly uponactuation of said valve.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portionis of annular configuration.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portionis disposed between said stem and said collar member.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portionis disposed in said valve stem.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cap member and saidcollar member are provided with indicating means to facilitate selectivepositioning of said'cap member relative to said collar member.

6. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said stem openingcomprises a slot extending from the discharge end of said stem.

1. An aerosol valve operating assembly comprising a tubular valve stemmember defining an axially extending discharge passage from said valve,said stem having an opening in its tubular wall, a collar member infixed relation on said stem member and having a discharge outlettherein, and a cap member rotatably mounted on said collar and stemmembers, said collar and cap members including cooperating firstsurfaces in interengaged sealing relationship and cooperating secondsurfaces spaced from one another, said first and second cooperatingsurfaces defining an annular chamber, said annular chamber providingflow communication between said discharge outlet and said stem opening,said cap member further having a depending cylindrical portion slidablyfitted in overlapping relation with said stem member such that said stemmember defines the axis of rotation of said cap member, said dependingcylindrical portion of said cap member further including an edge surfaceoverlying a portion of said stem opening in one angular position of saidcap member relative to said stem member such that said edge surface andsaid stem opening are in juxtaposition and cooperate to define a flowpassage from said stem member to said chamber, the dimensions of saidflow passage in said one angular position of said cap member being lessthan the dimensions of said flow passage in a second angular position ofsaid cap member relative to said stem member, whereby rotation of saidcap member relative to said stem member about an axis defined by saidstem member moves said edge surface relative to said opening and changesthe area of said flow passage, thus enabling adjustment of the rate offlow through said operating assembly upon actuation of said valve. 2.The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindrical portion isof annular configuration.
 3. The assembly according to claim 1 in whichsaid cylindrical portion is disposed between said stem and said collarmember.
 4. The assembly according to claim 1 in which said cylindricalportion is disposed in said valve stem.
 5. The assembly according toclaim 1 in which said cap member and said collar member are providedwith indicating means to facilitate selective positioning of said capmember relative to said collar member.
 6. The assembly according toclaim 1 in which said stem opening comprises a slot extending from thedischarge end of said stem.